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Of Icy Hearts and Darkened Souls
---- Dakota was rushing frantically about her office, her entire appearance askew in her rapid efforts. Her face was flushed, her hair pulled into a messy bun that was in shambles, the hair tie hardly in her hair anymore and no longer serving its purpose, all of it falling into her view. She pulled it back into its original place, then began tidying up again, gathering files and placing them in cabinets, placing others in stacks. Several stacks were made, and once she was finished, she labeled it with sticky notes with her coworkers' names on them. Afterward, she delivered the stacks and then finished straightening her own office. She looked at the train ticket that she had laid on her desk, running a finger along the name of the destination; Zakuro. A somber smile pulled on her lips as she allowed herself to remember the tender memories of her early adulthood. When childish dreams were accessible, and she didn't need to worry about anything else other than what her next job would be. Her throat began to close up the closer she came to the end of the chapter in her life, and her eyes began to gleam with tears. Wiping them away before they could fall, she picked up her ticket and bag and began making her way out of the building, keeping her head down to avoid curious gazes. Of course, most of her workers knew, she'd done this every year on the same day ever since she began working here. However, they knew not of her reasoning, just that it happened. They came to accept not knowing about it, just working around her for this one day. And Dakota couldn't be happier for their silence. Couldn't describe her gratitude in words to gestures. She would just work harder tomorrow to make up for it. However, Saladyn Hiroshima was unaware of this habit of hers. He had noticed how frazzled she had been earlier that day, which was not usual for the organized woman. He had noticed that her usually pristine desk was covered in papers. He could tell she was upset, he wanted to help her. They had only been dating for a few weeks but he swore they were the best of his life. He had actually become good at ice skating, and Sereph hadn't even started to resurface since the incident. He couldn't help but follow her, he was stealthy; melting into the crowd, keeping close enough to track her without her noticing. They boarded the train and Saladyn chose a seat three rows behind her. He could see the messy clump of her hair on her bobbing head, he couldn't tell if she was asleep and the train was rocking or if she was listening to music. Either way, the bouncing knot of hair kept him entertained. Sleep didn't come, nor did Dakota allow herself any distractions at this time. She began remembering her friends, how kind and caring the young Lacey and Zephyr had been. How impressionable. How dedicated they were to her. And it hurt, it really did. Because in the end, their dedication was wasted, Dakota had been the wrong person to trust. Still, she thought about them, not allowing their memory to be wasted, and she allowed herself three tears, letting them trickle all the way down to her chin before she wiped them away. As they approached the city, the train came to a screeching halt, Dakota gathering up her things and quickly exiting. She disappeared around a corner a moment after she got off, heading into the restrooms to fix her appearance. She arranged her hair into a neat ponytail, carefully wiping the tearstains away, and then taking a deep breath in. After she determined she was safe to head out, she did, heading over to one of the many florists in the town. She picked a wonderful bouquet of white lilies, pink carnations, red roses, and two white orchids. After paying for her bouquet, she began heading over to the cemetery, which was filled with beautiful sakura trees, petals gracefully flitting down towards the ground in beautiful swoops. Near the left side, towards the back of the grounds was two headstones placed closely together. They were no family, nor married. They just belonged together, because they were the ones who lived and died together, fulfilling the same dream until the very end. As soon as she approached those headstones, the tears came unrestrained, for she knew what lie beneath that lush green grass and soft pink petals. People she had killed. Not directly, but it was her fault nonetheless. She loaded the gun and the enemy pulled the trigger, and she could never forgive herself for it. Not even now, so many years later when she's saved so many other lives. Her steps were hesitant now, her grip getting tighter on the flowers. She practically collapsed in front of the headstones, placing a quivering hand on top of the one labeled Lacey, resting the bouquet on the ground. Her heart ached for the people beneath her, and she began sobbing, apologies slipping between her lips every now and then. "I'm so indecent," She says after a moment, wiping her face. She began separating the flowers, carefully sorting them so she wouldn't damage them any further. "You always looked so lovely in red," She says, as though Lacey is there in front of her. "Whether it be a tee shirt, pants, shoes, lipstick, eyeshadow, or blush, it always looked so nice on you. And Zephyr always looked nicest in white. The simplicity always contrasted superbly with his tan skin." She places the bouquets down in front of the headstones, sighing heavily and shakily, her shoulders sagging. "I miss you," She whispers. "I never thought-" She is cut short by a choked sob. "I never thought I would lose you," She says, a watery smile on her face as she looks up at the names on the headstones. "I think about you constantly. I wish I didn't have to remember you. I wish I could just see you every time I woke up." She explains, resting her forehead on the cold, hard concrete. "I wish I had been stronger. I wish I had been the leader you thought I was." Saladyn stood underneath one of the Sakura trees and watched, listening to her soft voice. He had started to feel uneasy after she had stopped at a flower store, he felt even worse after he found out where she was heading. Saladyn couldn't bring himself to say a word. He walked over to her and kneeled behind her, putting his hand on her shoulder. Dakota flinched at the sudden contact, having not heard Saladyn walk up beside her. She turns to face him, her face immediately falling when she realizes who it was. "Uh, S-Saladyn," She says, wiping her face with the heels of her palms. "Wh-what are you d-" She hiccups, her words breaking off. That small break is enough for her to just begin crying again, tears trailing down her cheeks unbidden and small sobs making her breath come in quick gasps. "I'm sorry," She says after a moment. Her voice was weak and quivering, and she had to put serious effort into forcing those measly words out. He wrapped his arms around her quivering body and pulled her into his chest. "They're here you know. They don't want you to be sad." Saladyn whispered. He could see the young man and woman, they were standing a few feet away. They were opaque but that was just the nature of spirits. Sereph was there too, standing against one of the trees, a sneer plastered on his face. Dakota's breath was snatched from her lungs when she saw her friends, the young and beautiful Lacey and the strong and silent Zephyr. They were smiling at her, sympathy and kindness and love clearly on their faces. She didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve people, who even in death, were only trying to dry her tears. She could not stop crying now, sobs wracking her body as she rested her head on Saladyn's shoulder. "Saladyn," She whispers softly, another long shaky sigh working its way through her chest. "I'm afraid," she mutters weakly, looking at the apparitions only a few feet away from her. The young duo just smiled and stared, waiting patiently for when Dakota felt better. What Dakota hadn't noticed was the black cord attached to Saladyn's wrist, attaching him to Sereph. "It's alright. They aren't mad." Saladyn said. Then another voice cut through the air. "Jeez Sally. Real woman you've got there." Sereph said. The gray haired man pulled away from Dakota, causing all the spirits to disappear. Only those he touched could see the spirits. "Sereph. Please not now." Dakota grimaced at the harsh words said by Sereph, and unconsciously shifted away from him. Luckily he pulled away from her a moment later, so hopefully the behavior went unnoticed. "It- It's fine, I can ignore him," She says, extending a hand out towards him so he could repeat the process. However, before they could get far, another young man walked up, a bouquet in his hand. "Excuse me sir, but I believe it is rude to bother the mourning," he says curtly, looking between Dakota and Saladyn. Dakota looks up, her eyes widening in realization. "I would request that you leave her and I alone," He adds, gesturing towards Saladyn accusingly. He sits next to Dakota, carefully positioning himself so that he was angled away from Saladyn. "Uh Silver, you can't just send him away," She says, watching to make sure Saladyn didn't do as Silver had said. "He's not bothering, he's helping," She adds assuredly. "I don't understand how a stranger can help you more than I could. Dakota, I understand this better than anybody else except for you. Remember? I was there, locked up in an ice cage that you created." Dakota flinched back at his words, tearing filling her eyes again. "Yes, I know," She mutters weakly, no longer able to look up from her lap. A tear fell down onto her hand, and she watched it through her watery gaze as it slipped down over the curve of her balled fists. "But Sala--" She is cut off when Silver sighs. "You don't need anyone else Dakota. I'm here for you," He interrupts. "Now leave," He demands Saladyn, glaring at him. Again, Saladyn removed his hand from Dakota's. He walked calmly over to Silver and placed his hand on the man's shoulder, giving him the ability to see Lacey, Sereph and Zephyr. Sereph was entertained by the drama and started laughing. "Sally's got some competition! Hey, hey." He said putting his head on Saladyn's shoulder and stage whispering. "If you just let me in we could get rid of it.." The spirits of his dead friends appeared, and Silver's face went white. After another moment passed, he gained color again, then eventually just became angry, becoming red in the face. He yanked his shoulder away from Saladyn's grip. "What the hell was that?!" He demands. His face turns sinister a moment later. "You're a dark mage from that guild, aren't you? You're trying to manipulate Dakota by showing her people who are dead! People who were killed! Leave her alone!" He shouts. "Dakota we need to leave before he tries to kill you," He implores, looking at Dakota with desperation. Dakota took a heavy breath inward. "No, Silver. Saladyn is the man who currently runs Arakashi. He is a good man who believes strongly in protecting innocent lives. He would not harm me because he loves me." She says, still not looking up. "And I love Saladyn, so I trust him to tell me if he was someone I couldn't trust, or he wanted to hurt me." She adds, looking up at her blue-eyed lover, smiling. Silver's rage builds. "What do you mean you love him?" He asks, voice low and laced with venom. "I mean that I want to spend the rest of my life with Saladyn. I want to raise children with him by my side. I want to be by his side when times are tough, and when times are easy. I also mean that I have entrusted Saladyn to protect my heart and be supporting when I need him to be like he is now." She says confidence growing, and Silver is left with his jaw dropping wide. He whirls on Dakota, who is so unsuspecting she is unable to stop the slap that connects harshly with her cheek, the smack reverberating and her cheek glowing red only seconds afterward. Still, Dakota does not cry or whimper, just takes it. "Do not spout lies he has convinced you to believe. I am all you need," He says, smiling maniacally like he's lost control. "Saladyn does not lie to me. He believes that truth is the righteous path, and even if it hurts, he should tell me." She says. "As I've said, Saladyn lov--" Another smack, on the same cheek, though significantly weaker. "Shut up you delusional woman. You are mine," Silver grounds out. Saladyn was at a lost for words, but Sereph was not. "Sal. Let me take over. I promise I'll be good." He said. Saladyn only nodded and his hair and eyes changed color, allowing the spirit to take over his body. "Listen here. There are three type of men I hate. Men who disrespect the dead, men with stupid haircuts, and men who abuse women. You fit all three." Sereph walked towards Silver, rage filling his eyes. "Step away from Sally's girlfriend." He shouted while throwing a powerful right hook at Silver's skull. Silver made a face at Saladyn, now turned Sereph. "I care little for your opinion you worthless, manipulative, deran--" He was cut short by the punch, which smashed hard into his temple, effectively knocking him out. He slumped down, luckily avoiding any additional head trauma from any nearby headstones. Dakota watched silently, touching her cheek tenderly, allowing her fingers to emit cold energy to stop the swelling. "Thank you," She mutters to Sereph as she reaches out to her fallen friend. She brushed his hair from his face, a look of longing and pain written across her features. She was relieved as well, for the shouting had stopped, and she no longer felt pressured. "I'm very sorry you had to meet Silver this way. Normally, he's more well-mannered," She says, which is a lie. After the death of her friends, every time she saw the young man he had laid a hand on her. It was painful, more emotionally than anything else, but, she had caused all the hatred to build up inside Silver, so she deserved to be lashed out on. The bruises and welts were nothing compared to the pain Lacey and Zephyr endured in their final moments, anyway. She owed it to them to make up for it. She owed it to Silver for not allowing him to help. This was the only thing she could do to try and lessen the damage she dealt, to lessen the weight she had to bear every time she thought of their youthful faces, the lives they had yet to lead. Sereph smiled. "No problem. I guess I'll give you back to Sally." He said with a sigh. "Nice to see you again~" he said relinquishing control over Saladyn's body. Saladyn looked around for a second, then broke out into laughter. Between gasps of breath, he managed to say. "That's the first time I've remembered! He actually behaved!" Dakota smiles at Saladyn. "That's good," She says encouragingly. "But I think it's time we left, we've bothered those in the cemetery long enough." She stands up, carefully settling Silver so his back rested against Zephyr's headstone. After that, she quickly arranged the flowers then looked down at the inscribed names. Tears began to sting her eyes again, however, she held them back. "I can show you them again. They refuse to pass on until you stop blaming yourself. You did all you could." Saladyn said sternly. "It isn't healthy for them to stay here. They'll turn malevolent, then I'd.. Well. I'd have to kill them again. They'd terrorize people." He touched her cheeks and looked deep into her eyes. "I know how it feels to hurt someone. I've killed someone too. I didn't come to grips with it before she turned, it was more painful then. Dakota you need to talk to them. Stop blaming yourself for their deaths." Dakota shook her head, averting her gaze as best she could. "Saladyn, I wish I could. I couldn't ever blame somebody else. If I had just been a little faster, if I had just paid more attention it would have been okay. Zephyr and Lacey put everything on the line and I couldn't even--" She stops short, biting into her quivering lip hard enough to draw blood. Tears rolled down her cheeks, slowly collecting together before dripping down. Almost without thinking she reached out for Saladyn, her grip tight on his biceps. "They were everything I could ask for and I threw it away. I can't just say it wasn't my fault. It was, I hadn't been the leader they needed, it's my fault they ended up... that they ended up dead." She says, voice wavering but her grip never lessened. He subconsciously winced under the pressure of her hands. "Dakota it isn't your fault truly. You were young; you made a mistake. I've made mistakes. We're all human; it's a fact of life. We make mistakes." He pushed some of his magical power into her body and a soft, tinkling voice filled the air. Dakota shook her head, but remained quiet, still unable to let go of Saladyn. The small exchange of magical energy allowed Lacey's sweet voice filled her ears. "Dakota, please, you're such an ugly crier," She says humorously, stepping up to the redhead and brushing her tears away with her thumb. "You look much prettier when you smile," She says, a soft and warm smile pulling on her own lips. Dakota sighs heavily with relief when she sees her friend, finally releasing Saladyn and turning to face Lacey, her hands hanging limply at her sides. She looked no different than how she had all those years before, same glowing green eyes, curling blonde hair. "Please stop blaming yourself Dakota. I promise neither Zephyr or I blame you for what happened. We knew what was at stake, and we did what was necessary to protect you. Because a team is nothing without its leader," She says, lifting a finger to Dakota's lips so she wouldn't argue. "Please, for our sake, stop blaming yourself. It's not your fault that bad people exist, it's not your fault that people can't understand why hurting others is wrong. So, just let it go," She says, and Dakota swallows hard, nodding slowly after a minute. "Okay, okay. I promise I won't blame myself anymore," She says, sighing, a small, watery smile tugging at her lips. The apparition begins to fade after another moment, and thirty seconds later she is gone, leaving nothing but a memory of a young and smiling young woman. Dakota feels lighter now, but she is physically and mentally exhausted, and she steps slowly over to Saladyn, resting her head on his shoulder. "Can we go home now?" She asks, closing her eyes against any unbidden tears. She's not sure why she wants to cry anymore, there's nothing else to worry about, but she still feels them pricking at her eyes anyway, and she hopes closing them was enough to stop them. "Yeah. Let's go home. I'll make you something for dinner." Saladyn laced his hands win hers and turned to face her; his lips were just inches away, breath hot on her face. "Dakota. I love you. I would walk through fire for you. I want you to be the woman I marry; the woman I can proudly call my wife. This is not a proposal; just a declaration of my love for you. I hope you reiterate these feelings." Dakota's breath caught at Saladyn's declaration, not speaking or reacting for several heartbeats. His warm breath was alluring all on its own, but Dakota resisted the temptation, instead focusing on expressing her love for him. "I love you too," She whispers. "I will always love you for as long as I may live and beyond that as well, and I will cherish you and every moment I spend with you. I would lay everything on the line for you, to protect and defend you, and I will do my best to be the wife you deserve." She stares at the small space between them, Saladyn's slightly parted lips, and then finally into his eyes. Her vermillion iris's were alight with her love and passion for the man before her, steady and unwavering. "I love you Saladyn Hiroshima, and I promise nothing will ever change that," She says, then erases the distance between them, softly pressing her lips against his. She savored the comforting and warm feeling, eyes sliding shut and her hands firmly but gently gripping his. He couldn't help but melt into the kiss, wrapping her in his embrace. After a few moments he removed his lips from hers and whispered softly. "I will always feel the same." He broke away, and smiled kindly. "We should go, or we'll miss the train." As they were walking back towards the train station he couldn't help but think himself a fool. Why did he pull away? Dakota carefully leaned into Saladyn's side as they made their way back to the train station, softly tracing patterns on their conjoined hands with her thumb. When they arrived, Dakota swiftly paid for both of their tickets, getting on the train just as promptly so he couldn't argue or try and exchange his own money. She chose seats towards the middle, hoping this would be okay with Saladyn as well as she sat down. She slid the hair tie from her hair, allowing the silky ruby locks to fall down over her shoulders, the lavender scent of her shampoo filling the air momentarily. "Saladyn, why did you follow me out here?" She asks as the train begins to move forward. "Sereph." He replied promptly. "He sensed the change." Saladyn couldn't help but chuckle. "He's quite a ladies' man. I guess his feminine instinct helped this time." Dakota simply nodded, the space between her ribs feeling too heavy enough for her to join in on his chuckling. She looks out the window, resting her forehead against the cool glass as she did so. She sighed, her breath puffing against the window before disappearing again. "I never thought I'd thank Sereph, but I'm glad that he told you to follow me. I don't think I could have taken that alone again," She says, clearing her throat to get rid of the choked feeling in her throat. She was done with crying for today. She'd shown a weakness to Saladyn that she hadn't wanted to already, and dwelling on said weakness in front of him was only going to make it worse. "What do you plan on making for dinner?" She asks after a moment, still not turning to look at the light-haired man. "I... well." She had caught him. He couldn't really cook, it was just something he had said to appease her. "Um... I was thinking we could get take-out Chinese. They make a mean sesame chicken, and... I love the cheese wontons." Sereph howled with laughter. "GOOD GOIN' SALLY. SO ROMANTIC." Saladyn resisted the urge to speak towards his spirit, but knew that it would make him seem insane. "How does that sound?" Saladyn's hesitant tone was not missed upon Dakota, and she looked at him through the reflection in the glass. She sees the conflicted look pass over his face after explaining the Chinese take-out, and she turns in her seat to face him. "That sounds fine to me though it seems you've got more than the menu on your mind," She says, leaving it open for him to respond to or brush off, whichever he wanted. "It's Sereph. Being the typical old jokester." A suitcase rattled above them, no doubt the work of the tethered soul's poor telekinesis. "See? Causing trouble as normal." Saladyn smiled, he was excited to spend another night with her, but he needed to do something alone as well. It had come to him earlier when he stupidly said This is not a proposal. He wanted to propose. He wanted to marry the woman beside him, but he had no courage to do so. Dakota nodded, leaning back against the wall of the train car. "So long as that's all, then I feel no need to pry," She says, knowing there was something else, but not wanting to directly force it out of him. This might be considered manipulating him with reverse psychology, but she wasn't about to let him alone with his thoughts when he had some asshole in his head. Well, a sometimes helpful asshole, but an asshole nonetheless. Saladyn felt dizzy. It took a lot of power to show other people what he saw and he hadn't done it much before. "Hey... Dakota. I think I'm going to take a nap..." He trailed off as his eyes closed and his head fell onto her shoulder. Before he knew it, he was sound asleep, feeling the warmth radiate off of his girlfriend. "I love you...to the ends of the earth." He mumbled in his sleep before falling quiet, only his steady breathing remaining. Dakota smiled fondly as Saladyn rested his head against her shoulder. She carefully turned her head so as not to jostle him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "I love you too," She whispers, before turning her gaze back in front of her. She wanted to rest her head against Saladyn's, though she doubted she'd be able to remain awake if she did, and one of them needed to watch out for their stop. So she opted for slipping her hand in his, entwining their fingers together. Their stop rolled along after about thirty minutes, and Dakota lightly shook Saladyn until he awoke. "Its time to get off," She says, voice soft to avoid shocking the most likely still groggy man. She carefully helped him to his feet, keeping her hand in his as she did. They got off the train, and Dakota allowed Saladyn lead the way, as she was unsure where the restaurant he had spoken about was. Saladyn opened the door to the restaurant and spoke quietly and quickly to someone in the kitchen after telling Dakota to wait out front. He returned 10 minutes later with a large bag of food in his arms. "Do you want to go to your place or mine?" He asked, knowing that they were basically the same distance apart. Dakota promptly responded with his place. While she did enjoy the comfort of her own home, she knew that a few things there would remind her too much of Silver, and she did not want to be thinking about him when she could be quietly enjoying Saladyn's company. She eyed the food bag he had acquired, wondering about its full contents. When they arrived back at Saladyn's apartment it was practically empty with a plain black sofa, a large flat screen lacrima-vision, and a spotless kitchen with a bartop counter. Saladyn plopped the bag down on the countertop and opened it revealing Cheese Wantons, Sesame Chicken, and Vegetable Fried Rice. "So.. I didn't know what you liked, I just went with things that I like, because we seem to have a lot in common." He smiled lightly, "I hope you like it." Dakota glanced around the bare apartment, listening to Saladyn as he spoke as she did. She chuckled internally at its lackluster appearance, having predicted something so simple from the man. It was open and roomy, though it didn't seem lived in, at least, as much as Dakota's own apartment did, which was plastered with various signs of her living there. Sticky notes all over her home reminding her of activities she would need to go to, pictures in frames of memorable points in her life, a couch with the cushions partially sunk in due to overuse. Saladyn's home was clean and organized, making it look like he hadn't changed a single thing since he had bought the place, and she began thinking of various gifts she could give him to decorate his bland home. When he began getting the contents of the bag out, she stepped over behind him, resting her chin on his shoulder and loosely wrapping her arms around his waist. She hummed lowly in content to what he said. "It looks and smells delicious," She says, smiling warmly at the pale-haired man. "Thank you," She adds, turning her head pressing a gentle kiss on his jaw. Saladyn flushed and started to walk away from her. "I'll get the plates and silverware, would you mind setting water's out on the bar?" He pointed towards the two stools. He usually had his breakfast on the run, and lunch when he was out. He often skipped dinner after having long days at the office. After setting the plates down and framing them with a form and knife, he paused, unwrapping the wontons, rice, and chicken. Sereph sat on the couch a meter away from the pair and finally spoke to his tether. "Maaaan. That food smells good. I wish I could eat Sally. Hey, hey, Sally, when are you going to get the ring? We've spoken about it before and come on, she's waiting you know?" Saladyn tried to avoid blushing as his other half spoke and coughed abruptly, covering his mouth with one hand and flipping Sereph off. Dakota nodded, shuffling around through the cabinets until she found two glasses, filling them with water and then setting them at the barstools. After Saladyn had unwrapped everything, she hopped onto one of the stools, putting some of the food on her plate. She saw Saladyn blush again, turning her head to the couch to see what he was looking at. Of course, she couldn't see anything but the bare sofa, though she imagined Sereph was sitting there, most likely bothering Saladyn in one way or another. "You've known him for a long time, right? Sereph, I mean," She asks before picking up her utensils and beginning to eat. She only looked at her food long enough so that she wouldn't make a mess of the pristine countertop or floors, focusing the majority of her attention on Saladyn. "He's been with my since I was born. The way a tether is formed is.. well, when someone who wasn't supposed to die dies and a baby who was supposed to be stillborn, therefore, lives and becomes tethered to the dead soul in the process. It's also why I have the streaks of black in my hair. Generally, there is an indicator on someone whose tethered that lets you know." Saladyn picked at his food in between conversing, seeming to savor each small bite he took. "Truth be told, each time I ask Sereph how he died, he tells a different tale. The most recent is that he went out in a gunfight against the mafia, but there are no nuisance reports from October Fourth, x774." The councilman took a sip of his water and turned to Dakota, "How about you? How did you end up on the council after..." Saladyn trailed off, realizing that it was a sensitive topic. Nodding slowly to what Saladyn said, Dakota thought back as far as she could to that time. She had been a mere toddler at the time, so nothing that specific came to mind, though she did remember a certain spike in crimes that led her parents to banning her from leaving the house completely. Because of a harsh and reality-driven upbringing, no lies were told that night when they explained why she couldn't step foot outside. It was explicitly explained in terms she could understand that she would be taken and left in the hands of criminals who had killed or violated the bodies of children no older than herself. Haunting her dreams and some of her waking moments at the time, she eventually took it as a reason to become stronger. Both to staunch the mental wound their actions had left on her, as well as the wound they had left on people who could no longer be healed. That had let her to join a guild, so that she may clean up the messes other people left behind. Of course, that goal was much easier said than done, and she had learned that the hard way, which had altered her path once again. "I chose to join the council after I realized how broken the system was. Strong guilds ruled without repercussions, leaving weak guilds with only their strongest to depend on. Weak members of strong guilds were too easily forgotten under the victories the best among them achieved, turning them rotten and changing their view on this world. That leaves the weaker guilds to deal with members that have gone rogue, as the strong could never harm those they once called family. That is a weight no young graduate will ever have to bear again so long as I stand as Hylion's Head Representative." Dakota's look was far away as she stared down at her food, her grip tight on her fork. Without realizing it, her magic had begun to react to her emotions, ice snaking beneath her palm that rested on her lap. Designs of serrated edges and sharp angles began appearing on her skirt and trailing down her legs. Taking a deep breath in, she set her fork down slowly, turning to Saladyn again. "The previous Council would never think of exercising power over a guild who had done no true wrongs, but I am much different than those who have preceded me. I am unafraid of any fate that falls on me for standing by what I believe in, and I will fall with those beliefs held strong in my heart." The sharp details that had once claimed her lower body had slowly shifted, turning softer. Gentle curves and curls now, thick lines that were full of confidence that Dakota's words now held. "That is so brave." Saladyn murmured. He knew that Dakota was fantastic, too good for someone like him, but with every breath she took and every movement she made, Saladyn fell deeper into her. His eyes flickered to the ice coating her lower body, the beautiful designs shifting into various patterns. Saladyn reached out with his left hand, a small ball of warm light cupped within it. He held the ball in between her body and his hand, melting the ice as heat tickled his skin. He himself didn't know what brought him to do it, it just occurred on instinct, as if it was the gentlemanly thing to do. "I believe in you. I think you do much more for this world than you'll ever know." You do so much more for me too. He thought bitterly. It wasn't that he was sour about her, but it was the creeping fear that she didn't feel the same way as him and he knew, heartbreak hurt worse than any knife ever would. Dakota hesitantly glanced over at Saladyn, sucking her breath in at his comment. "Bravery comes in many different forms," She says quietly, carefully thinking over her next words. However, as Saladyn reached towards her, her thoughts became a jumbled mess, her wonder-filled gaze trailing over to his. The soft and soothing warmth that radiated from his palm calmed her, uncoiling muscles she hadn't known she'd tensed. A quiet breath of relief and satisfaction tumbled from her lips, the cold presence dying down. However, the good feeling lasted only a moment before Saladyn began speaking again. She felt and heard the pain and hesitation in his words, and the hand on her lap lifted, resting overtop his, applying a slight pressure to bring his palm in contact with her thigh, the chilled material of her skirt slowly fading away beneath the heat of his magic and now his body heat. "Bravery is when you allow yourself to share moments and thoughts with someone even if it means they may not like what they see or hear. Bravery is stepping off a ledge and expecting and believing someone will be there to catch you. Bravery is admitting to feelings, no matter how personal or hard they are to deal with." Dakota looks deeply into Saladyn's gaze, her thumb sliding along the side of his hand, attempting to keep him calm despite the conditions. "I love you, Saladyn. Even with your insecurities, even with the baggage others have left you with, and even with the pain and hurt that other's have caused you to feel that you still cannot shake. And when I say that I love you, it doesn't go away tomorrow, or the next day, or a week from now, or even months from now. I mean it now, and I will mean it later as well. Please do not feel like this is a one-way street, because you have done more in this single day than anyone has ever done for me in my entire life." She breathes in slowly, closing her eyes for a moment while she did. When she opened them again, she looked at him with sincerity and openness, a gentle smile pulling at her lips. "Would you mind if we spent the rest of the day spooning on the couch? I would prefer to be the big spoon, though whatever you're most comfortable with is fine with me." Category:Aaniimee Category:QOS Roleplay Category:Roleplay